Words of Warning

03.09.12

Netanyahu: Iran Threat Growing

Peter Potter, Israel Sun / Landov

As the former head of Israel’s intelligence service spoke out, saying he doesn’t think a military strike on Iran is smart right now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Israeli TV to say the situation was more urgent than ever. Ex-Mossad chief Meir Dagan said now isn’t the time to attack Iran over its nuclear program and came to the defense of the country that’s often seen as the enemy of Israel. “The regime in Iran is a very rational one,” Dagan told Leslie Stahl of CBS’s 60 Minutes. He even said its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—who has called for Israel to be annihilated—is somewhat rational when it comes to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “Not exactly our rational, but I think he is rational.” The interview will be broadcast Sunday night. Friday morning Netanyahu countered such words, saying an attack on Iran was “not a matter of days or weeks” and that the nuclear program must be removed. Netanyahu added: “The American clock regarding preventing nuclearization of Iran is not the Israeli one. The Israeli clock works, obviously, according to a different schedule.”